This graphic novel mixes cuteness with haunting, but it goes deeper than you’d think.
Writer and Artist: Brenna Thummler
Marjorie Glatt is full of ghosts: sadness and grief are the overwhelming first two, but there are also other types of beings haunting her.
After her mother dies, she is in charge of the family laundry business. Her father is so depressed he can barely stand up, and her toddler brother is what keeps her going, even if all of that is a bit too much for a thirteen-year-old.
Also, there is Mr. Saubertuck, a weird and annoying fat man who wants her house and that harasses her in every possible way. He is a bit of a loony and could be deemed harmless, but when you are as alone as Marjorie is, “harmless” is not what it used to be.
Now, on another dimension but in the same physical spot, there’s Wendell: he is a ghost, recently deceased. He is new to Ghost Town and is unable to adjust, so, one day, he decides to land on Marjorie’s laundry.
Ghost Town is what hit the spot for me: all of the ghosts are covered in sheets, they have a council, high school cliques, and even a death therapist; they are a society on their own, but somebody can feel lonely even there. I liked that.
I also liked the unlikely friendship Marjorie and Wendell develop. I think it works as a metaphor for sadness and empathy, for despair and bad feelings, for the way things can brighten up if only you can share these feelings with someone else—even if that someone is dead.
The visuals work perfectly. There are lots of double spreads that reflect how tiny one can feel in an unsympathetic world. But they always have a glimmer of hope, even in the darkest panels. I liked that too—very much.
Sheets is on sale August 28th, 2018.
Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors/ Lion Forge
Publication Date: August 28, 2018
Edition: Paperback
Price: $12.99 (USD)
Age range: 14
ISBN 9781941302675
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels, Sci Fi & Fantasy
Featured image by Brenna Thummler, all images belong Diamond Book Distributors
